A hot roll fuser is a preferred means of fusing dry, particulate toner to copy paper. In this fuser a pair of cylindrical rollers, in pressure contact, form a hot nip through which the copy paper passes. In a xerographic process, one means or another is used to form a relatively loose toner image on a photoconductor. A transfer station provides a means by which a portion of this toner image is transferred to a sheet of copy paper. The sheet of paper now carries a relatively loose toner image on one surface thereof. The paper then passes through the fusing nip whereat the toner thereon is melted or fused to the paper to form a permanent copy.
In an exemplary hot roll fuser, of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,068, incorporated herein by reference, the toner side of the paper engages a relatively soft heated roll, whereas the other side of the paper engages a rigid cool roll. The soft heated roll is essentially a rigid aluminum core to which is adhered a layer of silicone elastomeric material, for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,305, incorporated herein by reference.
The ability of the copy paper's leading edge to release from the fuser roll, and primarily the hot roll, is a function of the state of the hot roll's surface cleanliness. As a result, it is necessary to periodically manually clean this surface of filmed-on-toner, paper dust, rosin, etc. In addition, if residual toner remains on the hot roll, ghost images may result on subsequent copies.
Release of the paper from the hot roll can be aided by use of a pneumatic peeler bar of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,813, incorporated herein by reference. This peeler bar itself is exemplary of a hot, toner-contaminated member which can be advantageously cleaned by use of the present invention.